The Competition
by Namibean
Summary: While the retrieval team makes its way back to the Sunny through the town on Cacao Island, Nami starts to question why she insisted on going to help rescue Sanji. Takes place during chapter 828.


_One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda. I have no ownership._

 _There are some references to "The Talk" and "Disclosures in Tea" in this story, but I think it can stand alone as well._

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 _That idiot!_ The more Nami thought of it, the more irritated she became. _That stupid, stupid asshole!_ She hid her emotions well, but her walking pace was probably a dead give-away. The rest of the team struggled to keep up without full-out running. Even Brook, with his long-legged stride, found it difficult to walk naturally while keeping up with the navigator.

 **Of course** they would run into the girl that Sanji-kun was scheduled to marry! **Of course** she would be adorably cute! **Of course** she would be into baking as well! And **of course** she would be completely smitten with that stupid cook!

Nami's jaw clenched at the memory of Pudding's words, _"In the end, he shared something with me. 'I really want to marry you, but I can't. I have to return to my nakama.'"_ _That stupid jerk!_ **_"Nakama!"_** _That dumb bastard!_

How could that girl even claim to be in love with Sanji-kun? She had only just met him once! Did she know about his pervert side? Or how easily he could get a bloody nose just thinking about women? Pudding hadn't been sailing with him all this time. She only knew of the prince charming image he presented her with!

Was the navigator really that surprised? It had been easy to ignore his idiotic antics with the mermaids on Fishman Island. She easily overlooked his fawning over the female Marine on Punk Hazard. Even when Zoro and Usopp told her, before the team's departure, about a Violet-chan on Dressrosa, Nami simply put it out of her mind… Because all of that had occurred before she confessed how she felt to Sanji-kun on the way to Zou. How foolish of her.

Taking a deep breath and putting on a smile, Nami approached the vendor they had placed an order with before finding Pudding. "Ah yes. You guys from earlier," the owner greeted them. "I've gathered together everything you ordered. I laid it all out over there. Feel free to do with it as you please! You sure you'll be okay with all that stuff?"

Luffy caught up and inspected the bags of supplies with Nami. "Thank you! Yes, we'll be fine," she managed to sound courteous. Collecting the supplies, the team began to move again.

Why did she even insist on going on this stupid, dangerous mission? She should have expected Sanji-kun would be sweet towards his bride-to-be. He was weak towards all women. Nami let out a frustrated sigh. _That stupid love-cook!_ Now, after all of her previous rejections, he finally succeeded in conquering the navigator. Was it time to move on to his next conquest?

 **"** **Choco burger?!"** Luffy's hungry cry broke her train of thought. How could he still be hungry after eating all those sweets at Pudding's AND a whole café before that?

Nami grabbed the captain by his shirt collar. "Quit dawdling." Her pace didn't slow, even while dragging the rubber boy behind her. "We need to hurry. Pekoms is waiting."

"But… But… A Choco burger!" Luffy protested. "Buy me one… Please, Nami!" There were murmurs of other chocolate specialty foods coming from the rest of the team.

"We've already got plenty of food!" Nami sternly warned them. She wanted to get the hell off this chocolate island. The smell of sugar was too sweet and the strange, sickening feeling coming from the pit of her stomach was getting worse. The sooner they made it to Whole Cake Island and retrieved Sanji-kun, the better. Then they could leave this candy-land hell and move on with their goals… and return to normal?

 _"_ _What if he doesn't come back?"_ The navigator frowned as she remembered her discussion with Usopp back on Zou. She hadn't realized at the time how much of a possibility it was. Pudding would make the perfect wife for Sanji-kun. She was cute, sweet, and shared his love of food. How was Nami supposed to compete with that? Would he even be willing to leave the girl behind?

Shaking her head and blinking away the tears forming in her eyes, the navigator looked up to see the Sunny coming into view ahead of them. It didn't matter what Sanji-kun's decision would be, they still had to try to get him back. Only then could they at least say they tried.

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 _A/N: Sorry, I was feeling a bit angsty. ^^;_


End file.
